Take Notes: The Gen Z Hollywood Set Knows Low-Rise Jeans Look Coolest With This Y2K Trend

By wazup on May 13, 2026 No Comments / 10 views

Gen Z Says is a bimonthly column chronicling the latest trends in the fashion-and-beauty space through the lens of Who What Wear’s own Gen Z editors. Expect a download on the upcoming class of tastemakers, emerging designers, and shopping and style choices straight from the generation setting the trends.

I used to think ultra-low-rise jeans belonged in the same category as velour tracksuits and grainy paparazzi photos from 2004. Sure, they’re iconic, but they’re not necessarily something I’d ever willingly wear. And then Coachella happened. The coolest women in young Hollywood were running around onstage, inspiring everyone with their looks. Suddenly, everywhere I look, women are pairing low-slung denim with lingerie-inspired tops, including lace-trim camis, tiny satin bralettes, and corset silhouettes that feel equal parts pop star and after-party. Somehow, it looks so 2026 instead of 2006.

The “low-rise denim with a bra-inspired top” formula traces all the way back to the early 2000s when pop stars made the look synonymous with nightlife dressing. Stage outfits were intentionally chaotic—visible lace, exposed midriffs, tiny camis layered under fur-trimmed jackets—and now, like every other great Y2K trend, the look is circling back around this year thanks to the current roster of pop girlies.

Doechii has mastered the oversize-jeans-and-tiny-top combo in a way that feels cool instead of costumey. Addison Rae has basically committed herself to the “2003 off-duty It girl” aesthetic entirely thanks to the work of her stylist, Dara Allen. Rising Slovakian star Adéla keeps leaning into barely-there latex bra tops and ultra-low-rise silhouettes that feel pulled straight from Britney Spears’s music video wardrobe archives.

Adela wearing bra top and low-rise denim.

Doechii wearing bra top and low-rise denim.

What makes the 2026 version of this Gen Z–beloved trend actually wearable is the styling. Unlike the pop stars, real fashion people on the street are making low-rise jeans and lingerie-inspired tops feel casual by pairing low-key lace corsets with flared jeans and slingback heels. Think delicate camisoles and baggy wide-leg jeans that sit below the navel instead of a fully Y2K-inspired onstage outfit. The finishing touches—often a pair of sleek leather kitten heels or a sculptural timepiece—elevate the trend from something you’d wear to a themed party to something that you’d spot a cool New Yorker wearing out to happy hour at Le Dive in Dimes Square once summer hits.

The best part is that the trend really isn’t as scary as it sounds. You don’t need abs, a stylist, or a full pop-star wardrobe to pull it off. A lace-trim tank and a good pair of loose jeans already get you halfway there. If you’ve been side-eyeing the return of low-rise denim from afar, consider this your sign to lean in. Keep scrolling for three easy ways It girls have worn the combo IRL this year.